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Teeth stories from the world

Fri, 16th Dec 2016

Teeth have been around for well... forever! This means there are an abundance of interesting stories, rituals and traditions involving our pearly whites! Here is a collection of some interesting tooth tales from many cultures, over the years and all around the world.

Teeth Blackening – Japan has a long history of blackening teeth, also known as Ohaguro, for various reasons. During the days of the Samurai, members of the warrior caste dyed their teeth as a show of loyalty to their masters. Geishas also blackened their teeth to provide contrast to their white makeup. In the 17th century, Japanese women often dyed their teeth to let others know they were married. Today, however, it is not as popular and primarily used by elderly people in certain parts of Asia.

Festival of the Sacred Tooth – Each year, in Sri Lanka, they hold a celebration to honor Buddha’s tooth. The tooth itself is housed inside the Temple of the Sacred Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) in Kandy. It is tucked inside seven golden caskets that are shaped like stupas and adorned in gemstones. The resident monks perform daily rituals, and wash the tooth in scented water and flowers each Wednesday. For the festival procession, however, a replica tooth is placed in a casket and carried on the back of an elephant that is elaborately decorated and covered in lights. Thousands of people line the streets to celebrate the tooth.

Bedazzled Teeth –check out the bling some early dentists gave their clients. Nearly 2,500 years ago, Native Americans bedazzled their teeth with all types of semi-precious stones. These gems were attached with an adhesive made from resins and embedded into the teeth. Today’s grills have nothing on these chompers!

Bottle Opener Tooth Implant – Hockey players are known for their uncanny ability to knock out their teeth, and apparently rugby players aren’t any better about taking care of their pearly whites. In fact, one Argentinian beer company, Salta Beer, noticed and decided to turn it into a promotional opportunity. They created a dental implant that is shaped like a bottle opener, and with the help of a local dentist, offered it to athletes who had lost a tooth. The recipients seem really happy with the results, but in all honesty, we still think picking up an opener at your local store is a far better idea (and much cheaper!).

Tooth Tour – Most musicians go on tour to promote a new album, but in 2012 it was John Lennon’s tooth that actually went on tour. John originally lost the tooth sometime during the late 60’s and gave it to his housekeeper to throw away, but she gave it to her daughter who was a huge Beatles fan. The tooth eventually ended up at auction and landed in the hands of Michael Zuk, who is a dentist and a celebrity tooth collector. He had part of the tooth made into a necklace, now known as the John Lennon DNA Necklace, which was displayed at 16 dental practices to help promote National Mouth Cancer Month.

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